Journal of Physical Science Advances (JPSA) considers authorship an important recognition of intellectual contribution and responsibility in scientific publication. The designation of an individual as an author indicates that the person has made a meaningful contribution to the research and accepts responsibility for the integrity of their contribution.
Authorship must be based on genuine academic and scientific involvement. An individual's position, designation, institutional affiliation, financial contribution, or professional relationship with the research team does not, by itself, establish eligibility for authorship.
All individuals listed as authors must satisfy the journal's authorship requirements. The author list must accurately reflect the people who contributed to the work, and individuals who do not qualify as authors should be acknowledged appropriately where their contributions are relevant.
JPSA expects every listed author to satisfy all four of the following criteria. These requirements are intended to ensure that authorship reflects both meaningful involvement in the research and responsibility for the resulting publication.
The individual must have made a significant contribution to the conception or design of the research, or to the acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of the data. Contributions should involve meaningful intellectual or scientific involvement rather than routine assistance alone.
The individual must have participated in drafting the manuscript or critically revising it for important intellectual content. Merely reviewing the manuscript for grammar, formatting, or language corrections does not independently establish authorship.
Every author must review and approve the final version of the manuscript before submission or publication. Authors should be satisfied that the work accurately represents the research and the contributions made by the authors.
Each author must agree to take responsibility for their own contributions and cooperate in addressing questions concerning the accuracy, integrity, or reliability of any part of the work. Authors should understand the overall research sufficiently to identify which co-authors are responsible for other specific contributions.
Individuals who have made a substantial contribution to the research but have not participated in manuscript preparation, final approval, or accountability should be invited to fulfil the relevant requirements where appropriate. Authorship should not be assigned solely on the basis of a single isolated activity.
JPSA does not accept practices that distort the actual contributions of individuals involved in scientific research. The following practices are considered inappropriate and may constitute breaches of publication ethics.
Including an individual as an author solely because of their academic position, seniority, institutional authority, financial support, or personal relationship with the research team, without a qualifying intellectual contribution.
Adding a person's name to a manuscript to increase its perceived credibility, influence, or likelihood of acceptance when that individual has not made a qualifying contribution.
Excluding an individual who has made a substantial contribution to the research or manuscript, particularly where that person's involvement is deliberately concealed or their contribution is not appropriately acknowledged.
Failing to include a researcher who satisfies the journal's authorship criteria, without a legitimate reason or the individual's agreement.
Providing inaccurate or misleading information about the role, responsibility, or contribution of an individual listed as an author.
Any indication that authorship has been manipulated, misrepresented, or deliberately concealed may be examined by the editorial team. Depending on the circumstances, the journal may request an explanation, suspend editorial processing, or take further action.
Certain forms of assistance are valuable to scientific research but do not independently establish eligibility for authorship. Such contributions should normally be recognised in the acknowledgements section, with the individual's consent.
The distinction between authorship and acknowledgement depends on the actual nature and extent of an individual's contribution. For example, technical assistance may form part of a qualifying authorship contribution when accompanied by substantial intellectual involvement and fulfilment of the other authorship criteria.
The order of authors should be determined collectively by the research team before manuscript submission. Authors are responsible for discussing and agreeing upon the order based on the relative nature and extent of their contributions to the research and manuscript.
JPSA does not automatically prescribe a universal interpretation of first, middle, or last authorship positions, since conventions may differ across scientific disciplines and research groups. The author order should reflect an agreement among the contributors and should not be used to misrepresent individual involvement.
Where a manuscript includes equal contributions, the authors may provide an appropriate equal-contribution statement. Similarly, a corresponding author or senior author designation should accurately reflect the agreed responsibilities and actual role of the individual.
The corresponding author acts as the principal point of communication between the authors and the journal throughout the submission and publication process. The corresponding author is responsible for coordinating communication and ensuring that the submission accurately represents the collective agreement of the author group.
The corresponding author is expected to:
Designation as corresponding author does not remove the responsibility of other authors for their respective contributions or for the integrity of the research.
JPSA may request a statement describing the individual contributions of each author. This statement is intended to make the responsibilities of the research team transparent and to provide a clear record of how the work was conducted.
Where applicable, contributions may be described using recognised contributor roles, including:
A contribution statement should identify the roles performed by each author accurately. Not every role needs to be assigned to every author, and listing a contributor role does not independently establish eligibility for authorship.
Individuals and organisations that have provided meaningful assistance but do not meet the authorship criteria may be recognised in the acknowledgements section. Such recognition may include technical assistance, laboratory support, access to facilities, language editing, administrative assistance, or other relevant contributions.
Authors should obtain permission from individuals before including their names in the acknowledgements. Financial support, institutional assistance, and relevant research facilities should be acknowledged accurately and transparently.
Acknowledgement must not be used as a substitute for authorship where an individual has made a qualifying intellectual contribution and satisfies the journal's authorship requirements.
The author list should be finalised before submission. Any subsequent change must be supported by a legitimate explanation and the agreement of all individuals affected by the change.
A request to add an author after initial submission must include a written explanation of the person's contribution and confirmation that the proposed author satisfies the journal's authorship criteria. Agreement from all existing authors and the proposed author must be obtained.
A request to remove an author must include an explanation and written confirmation from all authors concerned. The journal may seek clarification where the removal raises questions about contribution, consent, or the integrity of the author list.
Changes to author order after submission must be justified and agreed upon by all authors. The editorial office may request written confirmation before considering the proposed change.
Changes to authorship after manuscript acceptance require particular scrutiny. The journal may suspend the production process while the request is examined. Changes after publication may require a formal correction to the published record.
JPSA reserves the right to delay further processing until the authorship request has been adequately explained and documented. The journal may decline a proposed change where the necessary agreement or supporting information is not provided.
Artificial intelligence tools and other automated systems may assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, formatting, coding support, literature organisation, and data analysis. However, such tools cannot be listed as authors of a manuscript.
Authorship requires the ability to take responsibility for research contributions, approve the final manuscript, and respond to questions concerning the integrity of the work. AI systems cannot independently fulfil these responsibilities.
Authors remain fully responsible for the accuracy, originality, references, interpretations, and integrity of material included in their manuscripts, including content generated or assisted by AI tools.
Where AI tools have been used in a manner that materially contributes to the research or manuscript, authors should disclose their use in accordance with the journal's applicable submission requirements. AI-generated or AI-assisted material must not be used to fabricate research findings, references, data, images, or other scholarly evidence.
Disagreements concerning author eligibility, author order, omitted contributors, or changes to the author list should initially be addressed by the authors and their research team.
Where an authorship dispute is brought to the attention of JPSA, the editorial office may request written explanations, contribution statements, and confirmation from the individuals involved. The journal may suspend the processing or publication of the manuscript while the matter remains unresolved.
The journal is not expected to determine employment, institutional, contractual, or other personal disputes between researchers. Where necessary, the matter may be referred to the relevant institution or appropriate research authority for investigation.
Editorial processing may resume when sufficient clarification or an appropriate resolution has been provided.
If an authorship concern is identified after an article has been published, the journal may examine the available evidence and seek explanations from the authors or relevant institutions.
Depending on the findings, appropriate action may include a correction to the author list, an authorship clarification, an expression of concern, or another corrective notice where necessary. Any amendment to the published record should be documented through an appropriate editorial notice.
The editorial team is responsible for considering authorship-related concerns in a fair, consistent, and evidence-based manner. The journal may request additional documentation when the author list or reported contributions require clarification.
JPSA expects all authors to act honestly when identifying contributors and describing their respective roles. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that academic credit is assigned appropriately and that every published article has a transparent record of responsibility.
Authors should also consult the journal's Plagiarism Policy and other applicable publication ethics and submission requirements before submitting a manuscript.
